Membership of the Commission

Membership of the Commission. The membership of the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Commission’s authority to promulgate such rules and regulations as deemed necessary. A. The eleven (11) voting members of the Commission are: I. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce; II. The State Forester; III. The President of the Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts; IV. The first vice president of the association; V. The second vice president of the association; VI. The immediate or most recent past president of the association willing and able to serve; and VIII. Five (5) members to be elected from the membership of the soil and water conservation district commissioners at the annual meeting of the association, one (1) from each United States congressional district by a caucus of the association members from each congressional district as constituted at the time of the caucus and the remainder to be elected from the state at large by the membership of the association. IX. The five (5) elected members serve three (3) year staggered terms. B. Two members serve ex-officio and without voting power, but with all privileges of discussion and debate as follows: I. The Director of the State Extension Service; and II. The Director of the State Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station. C. Two members serve as advisors and without voting power, but with all privileges of discussion and debate as follows: I. The United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service- State Conservationist, or his/her designee; and II. Alcorn State University, Division of Agriculture – Dean of Agriculture, or his/her designee. D. In the event of a vacancy during an unexpired term of one of the elected Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission members, the Commission shall appoint a Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner from the appropriate Congressional District, or State-at- large, until the next annual meeting of the Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts, at which time an election will be held to fill the unexpired term. Should the unexpired term be less than one year, the Commission shall appoint a Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner from the appropriate Congressional District, or State-at large, to complete the term. Authority: MCA section 69-27-9